


Preparation and Promises

by di93



Series: Inquisitorial Enigma [14]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Also anxious, But he tries hard, Dragon Age Quest: The Magister's Birthright, Fluff, Kaaras is awkward, M/M, cuties being cute, not-quite-smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-15
Updated: 2017-03-15
Packaged: 2018-10-05 08:12:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10301945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/di93/pseuds/di93
Summary: With much apprehension, Kaaras hands over the Pavus Birthright. Saying that it turns out "better than expected" is a massive understatement in Kaaras's view.





	

Kaaras anxiously turned the amulet in his hand over and over as he left the war room and headed towards the tower. On their way to meeting with Hawke and Stroud in the Western Approach, Kaaras had stopped at Val Royaux to grab some supplies, purchase a few armor schematics, and also meet Ponchard de Lieux. While the trip had been rather successful and he found what the man wanted in exchange for the amulet to be simple enough, Dorian was none too pleased.  

He slowly headed up the stairs, still staring at the amulet in his hand, hoping that he hadn’t over-stepped his bounds by having Josephine retrieve it for him, but it was too late to turn back now. So when he saw Dorian leaning over one of the desks, staring at his own notes, Kaaras called out to him. 

“Well, I’m certainly surprised to see you here so early! Shouldn’t you still be planning sieges or assigning people to helping the helpless in all corners of Thedas?” Dorian inquired as he crossed his arms and leaned against table with a raised eyebrow. Kaaras nodded. 

“I just managed to get away for a moment since I wanted to, well… Here,” he said awkwardly before holding out the amulet. Dorian’s expression shifted from amused to upset as he plucked the amulet from Kaaras’s hand. 

“Now I’m indebted to you. I never wanted this, I told you,” Dorian said, and this time Kaaras frowned.  

“I didn’t do it so you would be indebted to me, Dorian. I wanted to do it for you." 

“That’s the problem,” he sighed, and Kaaras was becoming more afraid that he’d crossed some boundary that he didn’t know existed. 

“Why is that a problem?” 

“Someone intelligent would cozy up to the Inquisitor if they could. It’d be foolish not to. He can open doors, get you whatever you want, shower you with gifts and power. That’s what they’ll say. I’m the magister who’s using you,” he replied, pacing as he spoke, and Kaaras rubbed his shoulder awkwardly. 

“I had… no idea you were concerned about that,” he said, glancing down at the amulet now in Dorian’s hand, and he frowned to himself, feeling like he really had overstepped himself. He hadn’t meant to, but that was little consolation now. He was about to apologize, but the words died on his tongue when Dorian spoke again. 

“I don’t care what they think about me. I care what they think about _us_ ,” he said, and slowly, a heat burned its way up the back of Kaaras’s neck again, even as Dorian continued. “I… was an ass at the merchant’s before. It’s my specialty. I apologize. And thank you,” he said, giving a little bow, and then the slow burn at the back of Kaaras’s neck felt like it had exploded, setting his ears aflame. But before Kaaras could reassure Dorian that neither thanks nor apology were necessary, the man was wrapping both arms around his neck and kissing him. Kaaras forgot what he was going to say. Dorian seemed to be even better at doing that to him than Cole. 

Still, far too soon for Kaaras, Dorian dropped his arms from Kaaras’s neck and pulled back. 

“I’m going to stop before I say something syrupy, but I won’t forget this… and I _will_ repay you. Count on it,” Dorian said, and Kaaras shook his head. 

“Really, Dorian, that’s not necessary. I just… you’ve been helping me more than I can say, so I just wanted to do something for you too. If there’s ever anything I can do for you, I want to help… whether it’s grabbing something that’s really high up or using my influence to get something back for you,” he replied, and Dorian laughed and couldn’t resist tugging on Kaaras’s neck to kiss him again. 

“Well, next time I can’t quite reach a book on the top shelf, I’ll be sure to send for you instead of a ladder,” he said, and Kaaras chuckled a little but nodded. 

“Please do… although I should get back to the war room soon. I just slipped away to return that to you.” 

“Yes, I was wondering why you came to give this to me now rather than waiting until dinner as usual,” Dorian replied and Kaaras shifted awkwardly. 

“I… was starting to worry that I’d crossed a boundary of some sort by trying to get that back for you, so I wasn’t sure if you’d be quite so interested in eating dinner with me after I’d given that to you, and I didn’t want you to skip dinner and then be stuck eating with me or just not eating if that were the case, so…” he replied, and Dorian felt a mixture of sickeningly sweet feelings churn inside him at the constant thoughtfulness of the man. 

“Well, how about we dine in your quarters tonight instead of slumming it down in the kitchens? I’m sure the Inquisitor can arrange for a late dinner to be sent up to his rooms?” Dorian smiled, and something about it, while not the same overt flirty smirk that Dorian usually wore, made the heat at the back of Kaaras’s neck and ears burn even hotter. 

“I think I can figure something out.” 

“Then I shall meet you there tonight. Now off you go, back to saving the world,” Dorian said, and Kaaras smiled, and headed off, back to the war room in a far better mood than he’d left it. Of course, he still had the business of planning a siege on a Grey Warden fortress in order to prevent Corypheus from raising a demon army, but at least he was just anxious about his duties and not his personal life. 

Unfortunately, the meeting still seemed to drag on forever, and he was only able to step out for another brief moment to ask a servant to arrange for a meal for two to be sent to his chambers late that evening before having to immediately return to planning. Should they just send their army based on old design schematics of the fortress? Or should they risk alerting the Wardens that they were coming by sending scouts ahead in order to get a better idea of what they could expect? Should they ask for help from the Orlesian nobles who would be the first ones threatened should their siege not succeed? Would the nobles even be willing to fight those who stood as the only safeguard against the Blight? Or were they confident enough in their own forces to launch the siege alone and minimize the risk of word spreading about the attack while also garnering interest from the nobles about the Inquisition’s military capabilities? Should they lead all of their forces into the siege? Or should they leave some behind at Skyhold in order to ensure that their new fortress didn’t become vulnerable? 

With so many questions, so many missing links, it was hard to come up with a truly solid plan, but by the time it was dark out, his advisors had their orders, and the Inquisition was to be ready to launch a siege on Adamant Fortress the following week. Kaaras gathered his reports and headed up to his rooms relieved to finally be done with meetings for the day and to be able to spend the evening with Dorian. 

What he hadn’t expected, however, was for Dorian to be already sitting at the edge of Kaaras’s bed, book in one hand, and wearing a deep blue robe rather than any of his usual flashy, complicated outfits. Something about the scene, seeing Dorian so relaxed and casual on Kaaras’s bed, made the Tal Vashoth's chest clench as well as his neck burn. 

“Well that meeting certainly went on longer than usual. Here I thought I was going to waste away to nothing waiting for you to finish,” Dorian said, as he stood and snapped his book shut once Kaaras made it to the top of the stairs. 

“Sorry to have kept you waiting. There was just a lot to consider, like—” 

“Hush,” Dorian interrupted, putting a hand to Kaaras’s mouth before grabbing the stack of reports from his hands. “You’ve done far too much work for the day already. Now let us relax and enjoy the rest of the evening, shall we?” 

Kaaras smiled and let all his tension out with a rush and leaned down do press his forehead against Dorian’s. “Sounds great.” 

Dorian smiled too and leaned up to kiss Kaaras briefly before heading over to the desk where two trays of food and a bucket of wine awaited. 

“Good! I’m famished, and this looks far better than the scraps that we've been dining on as of late,” he said as he poured two glasses of wine. 

“Smells good,” Kaaras commented as he grabbed a plate and followed Dorian to sit on the sofa that he’d moved to be in front of the fire weeks ago. 

“I’m not certain what it is, but it’s far better than anything we’ve had while camping,” Dorian replied after he tried a bite of the rice-meat-vegetable concoction, and Kaaras had to agree. 

“Stew does get tiring.” 

“What did you eat when you were off in the wilderness by yourself? Berries and ram stew, I imagine?” 

“More or less. Mushrooms and eggs too, when I got lucky. Fish when I was desperate enough to risk heading towards the coast.” 

“What did you do with yourself all the time? It got boring, surely.” 

“Hunted, cooked, ate. Climbed trees. Explored caves. Got attacked by bears and mabari packs.” 

“You were attacked by bears on your own, and lived.” 

“I have scars.” 

“Yes, so I’ve noticed,” Dorian muttered and chewed thoughtfully for a minute. “If not for saving those Dalish from slavers, would you have ever joined a mercenary band again?” 

“I don’t know. I thought about it some days, but then I just figured it was better for everyone if I stayed on my own.” 

“Why did you stay with the Valo-Kas then? I know you felt you owed them for saving you, but why stay so long?” Dorian asked, and Kaaras shrugged. 

“They were good people. And living alone had become… lonely. I wasn’t looking forward to returning to that life. Still, I’d planned to buy Shokrakar a new sword and then leave the Valo-Kas after escorting the mages to the Conclave, but, well… Things went crazy and now I’m here. But it’s not so bad,” he replied, looking over to give Dorian a smile. “Can I ask you something now?” 

“I suppose it’s only fair.” 

“Not that I’m complaining, but is there a reason you’re wearing that?” 

“That answer is better suited for once you’ve finished eating. Anything else on your mind?” Dorian replied simply, and Kaaras’s brow creased in confusion even as the back of his neck heated. Kaaras cut off his train of thought by taking another bite and concentrating on chewing. 

“Do you miss Tevinter?” 

“Ah, yes, I do miss it, for all its failings. It’s my home. Although I’d say that the only friends I have are here.” 

“What do you miss about it?” 

“The architecture, for one. You could walk down a side street and see nothing built during the modern ages. The food and drink were far superior to anything I’ve had down here. Being able to use my magic without being on the receiving end of snide looks was also a plus. And the _libraries_. The Magisterium’s library in Minrathous could quite possibly be my favorite place in all of Thedas.” 

“Did you go there often?” 

“For my research with Alexius, yes. Only occasionally just for my own amusement, although I did enjoy doing research with him. I almost wish I had enjoyed it just a little less, now, though, but it seemed to work out well enough since we’re still alive and the sky isn’t one giant breach.” 

“Have you visited him yet?” 

“Not yet, no. I know that you have him researching magic for the Inquisition, though. I want to thank you for that. He hardly deserved mercy, but I hope there is something left of the man I once knew.” 

“I couldn’t bring myself to kill him for what he’d done, even after… Well, he may have almost destroyed the world, but Corypheus was serving was manipulating his grief. I couldn’t blame him for it. Not entirely. And the Tranquil that joined the Inquisition from Redcliffe, Clemence? I just kept thinking about what he said to me. ‘While one lives, it is good to believe that there is still use for one’s talents.’ It seemed suiting to have Alexius work for the Inquisition.” 

“Sometimes I wonder how you can be so kind a man,” Dorian said after a few moments of quiet, and Kaaras flushed. 

“That’s really… I’m not. I just—” 

“Yes, right, the do-gooder vigilante is such a terrible person. Of course,” Dorian said with a roll of his eyes. 

“I… I guess it’s just my way of making up for lost time,” Kaaras said, before shaking himself and then setting aside his now mostly-emptied plate. “Anyway, I believe we had a deal, so tell be about the robe. The curiosity is killing me.” 

“We can’t have that now, can we?” Dorian laughed as he set aside his own plate. “Well, this was part of a devious ploy, you see. All of this flirting business has been very nice, however, I am not so nice a man as you. So, I came up with a scheme to lure the Inquisitor into his chambers while wearing something that would be simply irresistible, and then I could make a proposal,” Dorian said, as he stretched to lounge in the sofa in a way that exposed more of his chest and legs. Kaaras, for his part felt more than just his neck heating as his mouth went dry. 

“And what is your proposal?” 

“That we dispense with the chit-chat and move onto something more… primal,” he said with a sly grin. “It will set tongues wagging, of course, not that they aren’t—” Dorian was cut off when Kaaras suddenly shifted, looming over Dorian with his hands boxed the smaller mage in by the waist and his face so close that Dorian could simply tilt his head to make their lips touch. 

“Can I kiss you?” 

“If all you want to do is kiss me, my dear Inquisitor, I fear I may be a bit disappointed as I’m asking you to do quite a bit more,” Dorian replied, and Kaaras immediately obliged, slanting his lips over Dorian’s as one hand gripped the mage’s hip and the other slid under the robe to caress his leg. Dorian’s hands slipped around the back of Kaaras’s head, pulling him ever closer. 

It had been a long time since Kaaras had felt the rush of being alive, but as Dorian’s skin burned against his own, as he struggled to breathe for want of continuing to kiss every available inch of the man, Kaaras was nearly overwhelmed with the feeling of life, and he never wanted to let go. He wanted to drown in the sounds Dorian made. He hoped the flush that was burning across his neck and up his ears would be forever seared into his skin. He wanted to taste every drop of sweat and relish every second of watching Dorian’s vulnerable expression as he came undone. When they moved to the bed, Kaaras wanted to permanently etch the shape and smell of Dorian’s body into his bed and his own skin. 

 He felt so alive that he almost feared his heart would give out on him, but that spurred him on all the more until they were both sweaty messes with heaving chests and their hearts pounding in their ears. For several minutes, neither of them had the ability to move, but then Kaaras reached out to push a lock of Dorian’s hair back into its usual position. 

A flash of _something_ crossed Dorian’s expression at the touch before he stood on slightly unsteady legs and looked around the room with his back to Kaaras. The Inquisitor watched him carefully huffed a short laugh when Dorian spoke. 

“I like your quarters.” 

“Do you now?” 

“Don’t misunderstand. I’m not suggesting we venture into mutual domesticity. I just like your appointments,” he replied, finally turning back towards Kaaras who shrugged. “Not that I couldn’t suggest some changes. Your taste is a little… austere,” Dorian said as he sat back down on the edge of the bed, and Kaaras sat up, resisting the urge to reach out and touch him again. 

“You seem a little… distracted,” Kaaras commented after a moment, but Dorian smirked as he looked over. 

“Sex will do that. It’s distracting,” he replied and Kaaras shook his head. 

“What’s on your mind?” he tried again, and Dorian sighed. 

“Very well, you’ve rooted me out. There is something I want,” he replied, and Kaaras sat up fully to sit at the edge of the bed with Dorian, fully at attention. “I’m… curious where this goes, you and I. We’ve had fun. Perfectly reasonable to leave it here, get on with the business of killing Archdemons and such…” 

“You… Is that what you want?” Kaaras asked, trying not to sound too disappointed. If that was what the man wanted, then he would be fine with leaving it there. He’d had plenty of one-night flings in the past, but somehow he had thought that Dorian… 

“All on me, then?” 

“I… No, I just—" Kaaras paused and barely dared to steal a glance at Dorian before taking a steadying breath. "I’m really not great with words, so if I’m going to get into a syrupy confession, bear with me,” Kaaras managed, and Dorian’s eyebrows rose with surprise, but nodded for Kaaras to continue. “I like you, Dorian. A lot. I thought that I… Well, I guess I’m not good at this sort of thing, so I didn’t make it clear. I like spending time with you. I like learning things from you. I like doing things for you. I like watching you fight. I like watching you read. I like your voice and hearing you laugh. I care for you, but if you’d rather end this then I can accept that. 

“But I… I want to spend as much time as I can with you. I want to kiss you and trade jokes with you and play wicked grace with you and flirt with you and get to know you better and continue all of this,” Kaaras said as he stared down at his hands before looking over at Dorian again. “So, what is it that you want, Dorian?” 

Dorian just stared at Kaaras for a long moment, trying to wrap his head around everything the man had said. Eventually, “I was… expecting something different,” came out, and Kaaras frowned inwardly at himself, upset that he hadn’t made himself clearer, but Dorian continued. “Where I come from, anything between two men… It’s about pleasure. It’s accepted, but taken no further. You learn not to hope for more. You’d be foolish to.” 

“This can be more, if you want it to be.” 

“Some habits are hard to break.” 

“Can I kiss you?” 

“I’d prefer you do more than kiss me. I’ll be more specific in my directions this time,” Dorian replied, and Kaaras leaned down to kiss him, gladly following all of Dorian’s instructions to the letter, and this time both of them could feel life coursing through them with every heartbeat. 


End file.
